1) Actions happening at the moment of speaking

Peter is reading a book now.

2) Fixed plan in the near future She is going to Baseball on Saturday.

3) Temporary actions His father is working in Rome this month.

4) Actions happening around the moment of speaking (longer actions)

My friend is preparing for his exams.

5) Trends More and more people are using their computers to listen to music.

6) Repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker (with always, constantly, forever)

Andrew is always coming late.

AFFIRMATIVE

SUBJECT VERB TO BE VERB + ING COMPLEMENT

NEGATIVE

SUBJECT VERB TO BE NOT VERB + ING COMPLEMENT

QUESTION

VERB TO BE SUBJECT VERB + ING COMPLEMENT + ?

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE QUESTION

I I am playing. I am not playing. Am I playing?

he, she, it He is playing. He is not playing. Is he playing?

you, we, they You are playing. You are not playing. Are you playing?

Basic rule

Just add -ing to the base verb:

work > working

play > playing

assist > assisting

see > seeing

be > being

Exception 1

If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter:

s t o pconsonant stressed

vowelconsonant

Stop > Stopping

Run > Running

Begin > Beginning

Note that this exception does not apply when the last syllable of the base verb is not stressed:

Open > Opening

Exception 2If the base verb ends in ie, change the ie to y:

Lie > lying

Die > dying

Exception 3If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e:

come > coming

mistake > mistaking